Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hello! I’m Frances Marin, an artist, illustrator and designer on the SF Etsy team. I’m excited to debut a new column, Step Outside. I’m happy to have you join me on my adventure as I transition into a creative livelihood while sharing ideas and experiences along the way. It’s a scary yet exciting place to be, especially since I’m not exactly planning this strategically. I am simply working hard, following my instincts and embracing the unknown. Since finishing art school, I have worked as an art teacher, library page and most recently as a tech worker bee. While I have learned a lot from all of these experiences, I have found myself constantly returning to the the thing that makes me happiest: creatively using my hands.

My giant pile of post-it notes full of plans and ideas.

There were various signs that pointed me to this path. For one, I spent every waking moment living and breathing art and Etsy outside of my 40+ hours a week job. I wrote dreams and ideas down on endless post-it notes that I saved in my pocket and added to the pile when I arrived at my art studio after work. It became quite a nightmare to balance. Though I was making good money and grateful for the day job, especially considering the lackluster economy for the last few years, I found myself unhappy and overworked. I figured that maybe with hard work and determination, I would find myself working on my art full-time in a few more years... but something told me that was just too long.

I feel I’ve had a rocky time trying to figure out how to achieve my goals, but I’m determined to try again and again. I’m not making the money I was at a day job, but it’s so much more important for me to be myself. Eventually, I may need to get a part-time job, but for now I will happily devote my time to art. This column will be about trying new things, following our instincts, making mistakes and learning as we go. Join me every other Wednesday for new and inspiring articles!